Rene Haas, the CEO of Arm, recently showcased some intriguing information in an interview with Stratechery. He disclosed that the exclusive partnership between Qualcomm and Microsoft, which sees Qualcomm as the sole producer of Windows on Arm processors, will come to an end in 2024. This development could potentially pave the way for other chip manufacturers to enter the Arm market for Windows operating systems.
Microsoft’s longstanding relationship with Qualcomm dates back to 2016. A prominent example of their collaboration is the Surface lineup, which utilizes specially customized Qualcomm processors tailored for Microsoft’s needs.
With the expiration of the Qualcomm-Microsoft exclusivity agreement on the horizon, we may witness other Arm chip manufacturers stepping into the spotlight. Companies such as Samsung and MediaTek from the mobile sector have been rumored to be considering production of Arm chips for Windows. Even industry giants like NVIDIA and AMD have expressed interest in venturing into the realm of Arm chips for Windows. Notably, NVIDIA has extensive experience in Arm chip manufacturing, dating back to the Tegra era and their involvement with the Nintendo Switch. Additionally, they have developed the Grace chip for server applications.
Despite the conclusion of the exclusive Qualcomm-Microsoft deal, Qualcomm itself is still set to release a significant chip model called the Snapdragon X Elite in mid-2024.
TLDR: Arm CEO, Rene Haas, revealed in an interview that the exclusive Qualcomm-Microsoft partnership for Windows on Arm processors will end in 2024. This opens the door for other chip manufacturers like Samsung, MediaTek, NVIDIA, and AMD to potentially enter the market. Meanwhile, Qualcomm plans to release the Snapdragon X Elite chip in 2024. (Word count: 202)
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